Tasting and rating wine is not exact science … and therefore I prefer to use a scale that reflects that wine is a living organism and that a wine can taste like 94 points one day … and 93 the next day … depending on the moon, the glass, temperature and or my mood!

I therefore use my own rating system here at Winehog.org – a rating system inspired by some of the British wine reviewers but adapted to my view on the Burgundy wines.

The end of points

I have been using the 100 point scale for two decades, and the problems using this scale became more and more apparent during the work with winehog.org. It’s very hard .. or perhaps even impossible to truly consistent ratings with a scale like the 100 points scale.

I therefore changed to my own scale … but still translates my ratings to points … as a service to the readers who prefer the 100 point scale.

The potential is defined by the terroir

The quality or the potential of a wine is in my view defined by the terroir as the complexity and depth in the wine comes from the terroir – that’s the essence of Burgundy – and that’s why Burgundy is so interesting, intriguing and sometimes even frustrating.

It’s very important to note that only the very best terroirs can merrit a top rating. If we look at the best 1er crus – they can indeed rival a lot of the lesser grand cru wines, but it’s very rare to find a 1er cru that can merrit an outstanding rating. And while the best village wines can be fine, they are still village wines – and can almost never merrit a “very fine” rating.

Here is the winehog.org rating system:

• Legendary
• Extraordinary
• Outstanding
• Very Fine
• Fine
• Very Good
• Good
• Above Average
• Average
• Below Average
• Poor

The winehog rating system – converted to points

As mentioned I have indeed used the 100 point scale for many years, and to me it feels natural but sadly also somewhat limiting for work. But as a service to the readers I normally convert the winehog rating to points or a point interval for the readers who prefer this system.

Winehog rating system with the point equivalence:

• Legendary – (99 – 100p)
• Extraordinary – (97 – 98p)
• Outstanding – (95 – 96p)
• Very Fine – (93 – 94p)
• Fine – (91 – 92p)
• Very Good – (88 – 90p)
• Good – (85 – 87p)
• Above Average – (80 – 84p)
• Average – (75 – 79p)
• Below Average – (70 – 74p)
• Poor – (50 – 69p)

… enjoy the wines … and forget the points and ratings!